“Master, the girl is heavily protected. We can’t get him through her,” a cold, hard voice said.

“I know Lucius. But, we do know other people he cares about,” another man’s voice said. This man sent chills up one’s spine and his black hood had a serpent stitched into the back.

There was a circle congregated deep within the forest. The snow was falling down. Christmas had just passed and students had returned to the magical school outside of the forest that very day. In the middle of this circle of hooded people, was the robe stricken man with the green serpent on his back.

He was speaking to what seemed to be the ringleader of the group. They were discussing something important, you could tell by the silence. All you could hear was the white snow falling onto the ground. Soon, the snow would make it impossible to hide out in the forest. Thankfully, there was such thing as magic.

“Perhaps My Lord, we should wait until school has finished,” Lucius suggested. The man beneath the hood was Lucius Malfoy, a once respected man but now his name was tarnished. Officials hadn’t caught him since his public escape from the wizard prison Azkaban.

“You know very well I don’t want to wait! I want him dead! We can’t wait. He’ll be protected. I am positive Dumbledore has the Fidelius Curse placed on his home. No one can get there without Dumbledore. And he is unreachable at this point in time. So, this is the only plan we have right now,” the man said.

This man happened to be Lord Voldemort, the most feared Wizard internationally. His focus was on a boy, a seventeen year old boy. One who needed to die.

“So who do you suggest we kidnap Master?” Lucius asked. “We’ve killed almost every person he cares for. Parents, godparents, Professors. There is no one.”

“Oh but there is. I think you’ll rather enjoy this task too Lucius,” Voldemort said smiling.

“When are you going to give up on that SPEW rubbish, Hermione?” Ron Weasley asked Hermione Granger.

“When house elves get equal rights,” Hermione protested. She was putting on a handmade scarf and a knitted hat she had made for a house elf. She was going to go see if Hagrid would like to join SPEW once again. She thought the Christmas holidays may have changed his mind.

“But Hermione, if Christmas is just over and Hagrid enjoyed his Christmas, he’ll want house elves to stay working at Hogwarts,” Harry said.

“Well, it’s worth a shot,” Hermione said. “You and Harry won’t do anything to help S.P.E.W’s efforts. House elves and wizards should be able to work equally, beside each other.”

“We’ve heard this all before,” Ron said. She slapped his head as she left the Portrait Hole.

“Why do you give her such a hard time?” Harry asked, taking a seat on the Gryffindor couch. Ron joined him and stared into the fire.

“Don’t let her kid you. She likes it. No one else argues with her,” Ron said. “Plus, I think she’s gone off her rocker. She should be on the mickey, I swear it.”

“Well, didn’t you say the same thing about Luna and ended up going out with her?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, and? Your point?” Ron asked.

“Admit it. You like her,” Harry said. “You dumped Luna so you and Hermione could get together.”

“How do you know I dumped Luna?” Ron asked, avoiding the real accusation.

“She was here, alone on Christmas Eve and she said her dad died, and to top it off, you dumped her,” Harry said.

“Her dad died?” Ron asked shocked.

“Yes. The same day you broke up with her,” Harry said.

“Oh,” he said quietly.

“You tell him Harry,” Lily said, watching her son talk to Ron.

James, Remus, and Sirius were busy watching someone else’s life.

“We’re here to look over our son, James,” Lily protested.

“Oh, but this is interesting. Something is going to happen. Harry and Ron should get their butts down there,” James said.

“What do you mean?” Lily asked.

“Hermione,” Remus said simply.

“Ye Merry Hippogriffs…” Hermione sang. She was walking through the small inch of snow on the ground. It wasn’t much, but the temperatures were freezing.

“Why don’t you give up on SPEW Hermione? Are you nuts Hermione?” Hermione mocked, making a face.

“Because Ron, I have an interest in something,” she muttered to herself.

She reached Hagrid’s hut carrying the box of SPEW pins and her money jar. She shivered, feeling the cold. She was glad to have made those scarves and hats for the House Elves. They were perfect for the winter weather.

She knocked on his door but there was no answer. She scrunched up her face in frustration. Where was he? She looked behind her and saw her own footprints but also footprints much larger than hers going to the castle.

“Hmmm,” she said. She decided to go back and try and find him in there. Harry would let her use the Marauders Map. Maybe Professor McGonagall or Professor Flitwick would want to join after Hagrid did. She whistled and walked back.

She stopped whistling when she saw footprints approaching her. Yet, there was no one there.

“Funny, Harry, Ron,” she said. She laughed. “Maybe I finally got through to you guys.”

“Guess again Mudblood,” Lucius Malfoy’s voice said. Suddenly he came into view and he was grinning.

Hermione opened her mouth to scream.

She muttered the incantation for the Disilluisonment Charm, but remembered that she didn't have her wand.

“You’re a smart one,” he said. Hermione made to reach for her wand when he muttered “Accio wand.”

Hermione’s wand flew out of her pocket and into Malfoy’s hand.

He flicked his wand and ropes bound Hermione. She started screaming when he muttered Silencio. He put the tip of his wand onto her head and she felt a cold trickle run down her head. She was now invisible. And she was positive she was going to die.

“NO!” Lily shouted. “They can’t take her. She’s Harry’s friend.”

“I know Lily, I know,” James said, comforting his wife.

Cho’s eyes filled with tears and Cedric had his hands on his head. Remus and Sirius looked at the scene sadly. But Sirius brightened.

“He knows,” he said.

“I know it was wrong to break up with Luna. I just didn’t want to pretend anymore,” Ron said.

“I understand,” Harry said.

Ron stood from his seat and went to look out the window. He wanted to see if Hagrid had actually considered joining SPEW.

The only person he did see was Hermione, but then she disappeared.

“Where did she go?” he shouted.

“Who?” Harry asked, getting off his seat.

“Hermione. She was just there,” Ron said. “She didn’t take your cloak either.”

“Look,” Harry pointed. He was pointing out the footprints leading into the forest.

“Not again,” Ron said shaking his head. Voldemort was after Harry again, but they had no choice but to go through with his plan. Hermione was their friend. They couldn’t leave her. Harry and Ron had another battle they needed to fight.